That aside, I must admit I'm getting a little tired of reviewing the same three shows week after week. Not to mention that I review them on dub quality, not on the quality of the show itself (all three of them are excellent, in case you were wondering). So I figured I would take Tuesdays to review other shows based on their merit, not their dub or otherwise (if they even have a dub). My tastes range from cute, shoujo anime (Cardcaptor Sakura) to more hardcore anime (Higurashi no Naku Koro ni). I like a little of everything, although I do admit I'm a little iffy on most of the mainstream anime available (Naruto, etc). I tend to prefer fresher anime with variations on a common theme or with a plot that sticks out from all the rest.
This is especially prevalent when looking at Shounen Jump titles, which tend to focus on action and fighting more than on actual depth (some people like that). But every now and then, they manage to run something that doesn't quite fit into that category. Today I'll be reviewing Majin Tantei Nougami Neuro, because despite running in Shounen Jump it manages to offer more than just fighting. It offers a humorous, semi-intellectual work.
The series was recently made into a television anime, animated by MADHOUSE, and ending at 25 episodes. It has yet to be licensed by any American companies, so right now it's hovering in obscurity. It has never been one of Shounen Jump's big hits (Naruto, Bleach, Death Note), but that isn't to say that it's not popular. The manga has yet to be picked up by Viz (who hold the rights to the Shounen Jump titles), so only those of us with loads of free time on our hands know of it. I personally had heard the name mentioned once or twice in the past (mainly on Japanese fanart sites I used to frequent), but it was only after the anime was released that I really got into the series.
But that's enough on the origins. Let's get going to the actual review.
Majin Tantei Nougami Neuro
Demon Detective Brain-eater Neuro
Demon Detective Brain-eater Neuro
The story starts with Neuro, a demon who feeds on 'puzzles' (he prefers murders). More specifically, he feeds on the negative energy hidden within a 'puzzle'. Unable to act directly in the human world, he attaches himself to Yako Katsuragi, a teenage girl whose father has just been murdered. Distraught by her inability to do anything about it, Neuro appears before her and offers to solve her father's murder if she acts as his shield.
This is where the manga and anime differ rather drastically--in the manga, Neuro keeps his word and solves the mystery of his murder fairly quickly, having Yako play the detective. It isn't too terribly difficult a case. In the anime, the murder is altered in order to give it more meaning, and Neuro refuses to solve the case so that Yako will figure it out herself and become useful to him.
We're going to focus on the anime story, because all of that has been released, while the manga is still ongoing.
So Neuro eats puzzles, using Yako as his cover. He builds Yako's fame around the premise that she's a "Famous High School Detective" and he is merely an assistant of hers. It sounds pretty bland and unoriginal, but it's Neuro's actions that really make the show. He spends each episode torturing and insulting Yako. Whenever a piece of the puzzle is solved, he insults the culprit and reveals his findings, only to direct their anger at Yako. He's all innocent smiles and naive, cheery disposition... Until he speaks to Yako, who knows his secret. His politeness is adorable, as he is kind to no one. Rather, he flings insults as if he hadn't the clue what he was doing wrong.
When in a bind, Neuro fights using the "777 Tools of the Demon World", which are always quite interesting. If not for the tool itself, than at least for the absurdity of some of them (Evil Drops, which allows you to shoot beams from your eyes). I particularly love Evil Friday, as the name makes no sense whatsoever--the tool itself is a group of bug-like mechanical eyes that investigate for him. These tools are introduced frequently, and nearing the end of the show he reveals the "7 Tools of the Demon Emperor". We're never really told why Neuro can use these skills, just that they are incredibly powerful (devouring hundreds of people in an instant, destroying a skyscraper like it was nothing).
As the series moves from the cute, lighthearted opening episodes, which were more about the characters and less about the mysteries, to the more plot driven episodes (like the HAL arc), Neuro loses that invincible quality he started with and the battles start to have meaning. The show manages to keep these battles from dragging on too long, but unfortunately the manga has started down the slippery slope that is Shounen Jump. Recently, mysteries have been replaced with battles in which Neuro is forced to understand the source of his enemies' powers. These battles are long and drawn out, but I feel they are the precurser to the end of the series, so I suppose I can forgive them.
The supporting characters are all lovable in their own rights. Godai, their underground source, is an ex-mafia underling who is forced by Neuro to work in their office. He hates pretty much everything about his new job. Akane, a braid extending from a corpse in their wall--given life by Neuro's demonic energy--acts as their secretary and head researcher. She's portrayed as a sensitive girl who cares deeply about the lives of others (both through her actions and her messages on their board).
Sasazuka, the detective in charge of most every mystery Neuro and Yako become involved in. He really doesn't seem to have much passion about anything, but he sees Yako as a sort of little sister. Ishigaki, his incompetent partner. He seems more interested in his model collection than anything else, but he idolizes Sasazuka. And lastly, X/Sai, a young shape shifter that can't recall anything about his past. His name, his age, his gender, nothing... He grinds people into glass boxes in order to check out the composition of their cells... And he sees nothing wrong with that. He's energetic and cute, and yet at the same time he is a psychotic murderer that can't be killed.
Sai is amazing and I love him to death, despite his creepiness. There's just something about his child-like naivete that draws you in. He doesn't murder out of hate, but out of an innocent desire to understand himself. Once he finds out who he is, he fully plans to resume a normal life
So all in all, the show isn't anything groundbreaking, but it is worth watching. It's no Death Note, Shounen Jump's shining achievement, but it's something different from the other things they run. The mysteries aren't particularly tough, and they're not supposed to be. The show focuses more on the characters, so the mysteries are just a device through which to show their interactions. It's just fun to watch.
Which isn't to say that it's for everyone, and the first few episodes seem a little repetitive. But eventually it gets going and moves along at a pretty good pace.
This is where the manga and anime differ rather drastically--in the manga, Neuro keeps his word and solves the mystery of his murder fairly quickly, having Yako play the detective. It isn't too terribly difficult a case. In the anime, the murder is altered in order to give it more meaning, and Neuro refuses to solve the case so that Yako will figure it out herself and become useful to him.
We're going to focus on the anime story, because all of that has been released, while the manga is still ongoing.
So Neuro eats puzzles, using Yako as his cover. He builds Yako's fame around the premise that she's a "Famous High School Detective" and he is merely an assistant of hers. It sounds pretty bland and unoriginal, but it's Neuro's actions that really make the show. He spends each episode torturing and insulting Yako. Whenever a piece of the puzzle is solved, he insults the culprit and reveals his findings, only to direct their anger at Yako. He's all innocent smiles and naive, cheery disposition... Until he speaks to Yako, who knows his secret. His politeness is adorable, as he is kind to no one. Rather, he flings insults as if he hadn't the clue what he was doing wrong.
When in a bind, Neuro fights using the "777 Tools of the Demon World", which are always quite interesting. If not for the tool itself, than at least for the absurdity of some of them (Evil Drops, which allows you to shoot beams from your eyes). I particularly love Evil Friday, as the name makes no sense whatsoever--the tool itself is a group of bug-like mechanical eyes that investigate for him. These tools are introduced frequently, and nearing the end of the show he reveals the "7 Tools of the Demon Emperor". We're never really told why Neuro can use these skills, just that they are incredibly powerful (devouring hundreds of people in an instant, destroying a skyscraper like it was nothing).
As the series moves from the cute, lighthearted opening episodes, which were more about the characters and less about the mysteries, to the more plot driven episodes (like the HAL arc), Neuro loses that invincible quality he started with and the battles start to have meaning. The show manages to keep these battles from dragging on too long, but unfortunately the manga has started down the slippery slope that is Shounen Jump. Recently, mysteries have been replaced with battles in which Neuro is forced to understand the source of his enemies' powers. These battles are long and drawn out, but I feel they are the precurser to the end of the series, so I suppose I can forgive them.
The supporting characters are all lovable in their own rights. Godai, their underground source, is an ex-mafia underling who is forced by Neuro to work in their office. He hates pretty much everything about his new job. Akane, a braid extending from a corpse in their wall--given life by Neuro's demonic energy--acts as their secretary and head researcher. She's portrayed as a sensitive girl who cares deeply about the lives of others (both through her actions and her messages on their board).
Sasazuka, the detective in charge of most every mystery Neuro and Yako become involved in. He really doesn't seem to have much passion about anything, but he sees Yako as a sort of little sister. Ishigaki, his incompetent partner. He seems more interested in his model collection than anything else, but he idolizes Sasazuka. And lastly, X/Sai, a young shape shifter that can't recall anything about his past. His name, his age, his gender, nothing... He grinds people into glass boxes in order to check out the composition of their cells... And he sees nothing wrong with that. He's energetic and cute, and yet at the same time he is a psychotic murderer that can't be killed.
Sai is amazing and I love him to death, despite his creepiness. There's just something about his child-like naivete that draws you in. He doesn't murder out of hate, but out of an innocent desire to understand himself. Once he finds out who he is, he fully plans to resume a normal life
So all in all, the show isn't anything groundbreaking, but it is worth watching. It's no Death Note, Shounen Jump's shining achievement, but it's something different from the other things they run. The mysteries aren't particularly tough, and they're not supposed to be. The show focuses more on the characters, so the mysteries are just a device through which to show their interactions. It's just fun to watch.
Which isn't to say that it's for everyone, and the first few episodes seem a little repetitive. But eventually it gets going and moves along at a pretty good pace.
Please purchase these when they become available
read the manga: Majin Tantei Nougami Neuro
watch the show: Majin Tantei Nougami Neuro
(Title is from Rejected by Don Hertzfeldt)
watch the show: Majin Tantei Nougami Neuro
(Title is from Rejected by Don Hertzfeldt)
1 comment:
I have been following your blog for a while now and just want to applaud you on some very good reviews. I got pretty excited when I read that entry of yours on the Death Note movies. In fact, I had the opportunity to watch Death Note 2 when it premiered back in Asia early last year! And yes, I am a huge manga fan as well! I have also watched all kinds of anime including Cardcaptor, Bleach, Samurai X, and Naruto Shippuden. It was heart-breaking to hear that you are not much of a Naruto fan, but I personally think that Naruto Shippuden has developed quite a bit in storyline and depth since the original Naruto series, which still featured Naruto as a clumsy little "genin". Why not give it one more chance?
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